


Something to remember

by Kimmy



Series: #AlecLives: All The Goldeneye Fix Its [1]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Amnesiac Alec, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Goldeneye Fix It, Happy Ending, James Whump, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, Not Happy At Times, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Torture, Relationship(s), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-01 17:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6528793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/pseuds/Kimmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Q goes on holidays and everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays was a brilliant idea.

Q was dead on his feet and so very, very glad he had packed the bay before. He had given R a right sermon and was pretty sure the girl would remember it for the rest of her life. Her face has almost matched her neon pink hair at the end of it. He terrorized the minions to remind them not to destroy anything during his absence. And he had the bus ticket in his pocket.

The weather outside was brilliant. Sky was the perfect clear and not a cloud marred the picture of the starry night. For a while now it's been hot and sunny and if the forecast was to be believed it was the same in Cornwall and it would stay the same for the next week. Apparently summer sometimes visited even The Isles.

So Q waved everyone goodbye adorned with only slightly threatening grin and with light heart headed towards his flat to catch some sleep before he had to grab the baggage and board the bus. In several hours he will be blissfully doing nothing on the beach in Cornwall. In the next week he'll get to enjoy the water, the sun and the sights. And most of all - quiet, and PEACE.

***

Q didn't book any apartment for himself, deciding to find something cosy after arriving. But seeing as the hour was still early and the weather was as amazing as the forecast said, he took his bag and headed for the beach. He traded his tee and shorts for swimming trunks in the public changing rooms and bag on one shoulder and towel on the other headed for the sea side.

There was a small crowd there already and Q makes his way through it till he reaches a peacefully empty little beach that's clearly private seeing its in front of some huge villa and people glares at him as he lies his towel there, but there's no sign or fence and the owner is nowhere in sight so Q doesn't give a damn.

Sun feels amazingly warm on his face as plops down and Q thinks. Yes. The holidays was a brilliant idea.

***

Sun is suddenly gone and Q wonders if it's that late and he should get up to look for a place to stay, but as he cracks his eye open he sees the reason is something, or rather someone, different altogether.

Apparently the beach owner is very much in Q's sight now. And as the next thought comes Q berates himself cause it's definitely not what it should be. And it's that the man is absolutely gorgeous.

"I've been thinking of kicking you out, but seeing as you've made yourself all cosy and the owner, who, just to be clear, happens to be me , finds you quite good looking, may I join you instead?"

Add smooth charm and here you are. Q is absolutely fucked.

"I'm... Incredibly sorry."

Q's face is red hot now and it's not the sun that burns his cheeks. The man above him smiles as the boffin drags himself to his feet.

"It's no problem, really. I don't mind sharing. Would've been rather lonely here hadn't you shown up. Alex."

"Nate. I mean... Nathaniel, but call me Nate."

And Q has no bloody idea how this happens, his real name simply falling from his lips without thinking as he suddenly loses himself in the realisation that Alex's eyes are green.

"Pleasure to meet you, Nate."

"Yeah. Same here, Alex."

And it's lame but Alex smiles nonetheless and yes. Q is utterly and completely fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently paradise could, indeed, be bought

They told him according to his driver license and ID he was Alex Taylor, but the adress on the documents was for an unknown reason no longer his. They found a credit card with same name in his wallet too, so he may want to go to the bank and check that.

Excluding the obvious problem of amnesia, which source impossible to be determined (Alec suspected it was only impossible in a small hospital in a middle of russian nowhere and briefly entertained the thought of going for an examination after arriving in Britain, but then decided he didn't really give a damn), there weren't many serious injuries. The burns were nasty, but in the end left no lasting damage and there was a graze on his forehead that the doctors supposed must have been from the fall, but it was not really dangerous and healed without leaving permament mark.

And that's how a few weeks after being injured in Russia, during events he had no idea about, Alex found himself in Cornwall, because that's were he came from, apparently and that was definitely better than staying in bloody RUSSIA, for goodness' sake.

Next thing on Alex's list was a trip to the bank, that proved very illuminating and thinking about the beautiful, beautiful string of numbers adoring his (!) bank account he decided to fuck everything and rather than to the hotel, headed in the direction of the estate agency.

Which is how he found himself where he was now - in a huge villa worth more than what most people earned in a year, which was apparently a sum that wouldn't strain Alex's wealth much, with a pool in the garden and a perfectly trimmed lawn slowly transiting into a beach.

Aparently paradise could, indeed, be bought.

And apparently when you bought a house with a pool and a private beach, the utensils, sheets and everything neccessary was included. Swimming trunks included, which Alex tried not to contemplate, but simply grabbed, put on and taking a fluffy, big towel with him, headed for the beach.

It was August, and the weather was brilliant even in bloody Britain, he just got a chance to live his life all over again (And he didn't remeber why, but for some reason he felt it was amazing - living this normal way, now. Normal with platinum credit crad a villa with swimming pool kind.) and right now, Alex just needed the sun and he was perfectly content with not remebering anything before, with just this life now.

And having arrived at his own, private beach, discovered the property was clearly only marked in paper and as much as most locals and tourists seemed to be intimidated by the sheer size and wealth of the villa, connect the dots and stayed away, there was a man laying on the sand in front of his house, looking he had no care in the world, and taking full advantage of the empty piece of - Alex's - beach.

And then Alex gave the man an apraising look... and decided he didn't really mind.

He didn't regret it, later.

[ ](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/jaq_somethingtoremember?source=feed_text)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You little shit."

They laid together on the warm sand, talked, played in the sea like bloody teenagers, splashing each other with water that was too cold to swim in.

Q didn't even notice how late it has become.

"Fuck! I don't have any hotel booked, I need to find something." He bit his lower lip, frantically packing his things and saying goodbye to Alex.

Or rather trying to.

"Nate. Nate! Nathaniel!" Alex had to physically grab him to get his attention. "I have a guest bedroom." He smiled.

And Q couldn't help it then. He laughed. Cause for goodness' sake, they didn't even know each other and yet Q had to bite his tongue to not agree in an instant.

And there was also that strange feeling that Alex was a force to be reckoned with, a dangerous man. Q had no idea how much of it was spy instinct strengthened by Silva and Blofeld induced paranoia and how much real fact, but for some reason, Q could see there was more to Alex than met an eye.

He was an insanely rich, but very lonely man. And he was a mystery.

If dad found out he was going to kill him. Or worse, have Moneypenny stop doing Q-Branch paperwork for him. Sometimes being a child of the boss had its perks, other times...

"Yeah, all right. I'd be very grateful."

He smiled at Alex, somewhat shy, and saw pure joy in his eyes, but it sooner transformed into mischievousness.

"Not afraid I'm gonna murder you in your sleep?"

And there. There it was. Alex might have joked but Q could see the words were very true. Maybe he was walking into a trap. But fuck it, as long as trap had this green eyes, he was alright with that. So he took the bait.

"Who says I'd let you? I'm so much more than what I look like, trust me."

Q didn't smile. He grinned.

***

Alex treated Q to the most amazing Sheppard's pie in the world, home made. Apparently being rich enough to not have to work and being single at that meant he had a little too much time to waste.

That problem was absolutely alien to Q but he knew all together what loneliness was. At least he had his father still, workaholic worse than his son that he was. But Alex seemed to be all on his own.

"Don't you have any family? Living here all on your own?"

Q knew he put his foot on his mouth as Alex eyes grew foggy and distant suddenly, green tainted with melancholy. Yet Alex smiled and looked Q in the eye as he answered.

"I was injured in an accident in Archangielsk, Russia, five years ago. I have no idea what I was doing there, what happened or even how did I end up in Russia when my documents stated I'm from Cornwall… I have no idea about who I was before. Amnesia." The word fallen from his lips delicately, quietly. "All my live started five years ago. It's all that I have." And his smile was sad, while Q understood a little better and dangerous air around Alex seemed to make sense. A mysterious facility in Archangielsk? That doesn't sound much average John Smith.

"I'm sorry."

And Alex's smile grew more sincere and wider.

"You shouldn't be. I have no idea who I was before, but it feels like a second chance anyway. I know I wasn't an average John Smith and I think I was a dangerous man. I have instincts that still surprise me. I wasn't fully kidding about being able to kill you in your sleep."

Q small, hesitant smile slowly transformed into a full blown, wild grin.

"Try."

***

Still, as Alex showed him to the guest bedroom he gave him the key, Q wondered just what some of those instincts were.

***

Next morning Alex woke up handcuffed to his headboard, smug looking Nathaniel in the open doorway to his bedroom. Not bothering to rattle the handcuffs which would do nothing but damage his skin and widen satisfied grin on Nate's face, he simply groaned and buried his face in the pillow, using his free hand to show his guest one very rude gesture. That was a met with a heartfelt laughter.

"You little shit."

"Told you there's more to me than meets an eye."

There was something strange in Nate's eyes and for the first time in years Alex felt the urge to know who he was. Or maybe not - maybe that was just one side to the whole affair. Maybe it was really about how fed up he was with being lonely.

"But... I'd swear I would have woken up to that. I know I have instincts…"

Nathaniel didn't let him finish.

"I might've also sedated you."

The words tumbled from his lips almost too quickly to be comprehensible.

Alex laughed. Nate threw him a pin - a pin, not a key, and yet it felt absolutely normal, as he started to work on his handcuffs, freeing himself in no time. Another proof his past was no average John Smith.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to bring that up or have you pursue you past. I don't give a damn, and I think you're happy where you are. I just… I think my present isn't too different from your past and I felt it would only be fair to warn you. Seeing as I'm a gay man and you are very attractive and invited me to your house…"

It was meant to be light, by Alex could hear unspoken questioning hesitancy in the words.

"No worries, Nate, I'm very much gay too. And well... Warning acknowledged. So is this were I ask you for a date and you say?"

And Alex would forever deny that there was anxiety in his voice too, as he waited for the answer, looking Nathaniel in those beautiful, beautiful eyes.

Eyes that suddenly lit up so brightly they outshined the sunrise on the horizon.

"With pleasure, Alex, with pleasure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, it's Nathaniel Mallory. :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...he's not alright anymore.

When James was angry or sad or grieving, he usually drowned his sorrows in scotch or tried to sleep through it. But then there were days, days like this, when James simply sat in his window and tried not to suffocate in the overpowering feeling of misery and sheer helplessness.

James never considered himself to have any problems, because hell, in this line of work, he was actually dealing pretty fine. He actually considered himself quite lucky. He had a dangerous job and a number of scars, but no serious lasting damage. He had no family left, but he liked to think that between missions, loitering around MI6 and bothering people he refused to call "friends", he he liked to think he had built himself one. He was blessed to be a dreamless sleeper and the only nightmares he faced were a very physical kind and usually happened in broad daylight.

Really usually James feels very comfortable with his life. He's alright. He's been alright. Except he clearly isn't alright now. It's just that it feels like in such a brief while everything has come tumbling down and crashing and he's suddenly left in a ruin that was once his life.

Vesper's betrayal has shaken him, but he got up and managed to convince himself she didn't love him, so she wasn't worth his love. (It doesn't help, he loved her anyway.) M's death, in the bloody Skyfall, felt like he was back 11, his world crumbling yet again. And then he found out Franz survived and of course it was too good to be true and he had to ruin it by calling himself Blofeld and torturing his brother, just like that. He thought he'll heal and build himself a life with Madeleine after that, but of course it wouldn't work out.

Nothing does in his life, apparently.

He just wishes now he hadn't even tried, because that sad, resigned look in Q's eyes when he came back for the car… It wasn't worth that.

And now James is yet again PINING and trying to convince himself it's not love. (But obviously, it is, what else?) But this time, this time he really fucked up. Because for once he's fallen for someone who was available, possibly interested and would UNDERSTAND. And James has broken his heart.

So yes, James has been alright. He drowned his sorrows in scotch or tried to sleep through it. Except he's not alright anymore. He clearly isn't alright now, because if he was he would be drowning in bitter scotch rather than salty tears.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me about the beauty of the storm."

It's the third day of Q's little holiday and the second night in Alex's house has proven uneventful due to the man's amazingly (and perhaps surprisingly) merciful nature. Q went to sleep without even locking the door, surrendering himself to the revenge, but found out Alex deemed drowning him in freezing cold water this afternoon had been enough.

Q couldn't say he wasn't grateful.

And then he looked out of the window.

Of course such a brilliant weather wouldn't last. It was Britain, after all.

He sighed, looking at the huge drops pounding against glass walls of Alex's living room, shivering a bit at the pure thought of the storm even in the cosy warmth of the house.

(House that happened to have floor heating which Q had immediately fallen in love with when he got out of bed barefoot this morning and decided to install in his own house. He had a feeling dad would absolutely love that too. Maybe he would even get him to propose floor heating in MI6 to the next year's budget.)

He purred contently as he felt Alex's arms wrap around his waist from behind, his warm, naked chest against Q's back. He placed a mug of Earl Grey in the boffin's hands and suddenly the grey morning didn't seem so grey anymore.

"It's just a summer storm. It'll be violent, but brief. And..." Alex nuzzled in Q's neck. "It can be absolutely beautiful, my dear Nathaniel."

And suddenly Q is struck by how much he wants that to work out. How much he wants to stand that way with Alex here or in his own flat after a night spent together full of passion of exhaustion from Q's stressful work. How much he hopes for living together with Alex cooking for them and Q introducing Alex to his father and maybe going on holidays somewhere warm enough clothing isn't required.

He finally sees a kind of future he doesn't just not mind, but looks forward too.

Which is absolutely ridiculous, because he has only met Alex three days ago, but he can't bring himself to care..

And pushed by some impulse, without thinking, Q puts his mug down on the coffee table, turns around in Alex's embrace and, eyes focused on Alex's emerald ones, gently pecks him on the lips.

It's just that. Gentle, delicate and sweet. It's their first kiss and it may be rushed, but it doesn't feel that. It's... Loving and absolutely perfect.

"Tell me about the beauty of the storm."

***

Later as they sit snuggled on the couch watching the rain and the lightning bolts cross the dark sky, Alex muttering stories quietly in Q's ear, the boffin thinks, it's not rushed.

It's not rushed. It true and real and three days, dawn to dusk spend on conversation and getting to know each other. And Q thinks how they know each other better now and are probably closer than most couples after several dates.

And he knows it's not a passing holiday romance. It's more like one of those stories Alex keeps whispering in his ear right now. Alex is lonely in his big rich house and Q is lonely in his big important life. And it doesn't need metaphorical lightning strikes, or butterflies in stomach or sudden realizations.

It's not Hollywood love at the first sight.

They won't be proposing to each other at the end of the week.

It's real life.

And they don't need it to be a relationship written in the stars. They can build it together for themselves.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...it was pretty well start of the day.

It’s a lovely week altogether and somehow by the end of it Q and Alex decide that it’s a relationship. It’s all very sudden and very unexpected but also very, very nice. It’s not a fairytale romance - it’s better than that, because it’s real and it requires work and engagement and effort and it’s something they decided on together and will create together.

Alex didn’t allow Q to come back by bus, dismissing the return ticket Q showed him without much thought - and with help of a lighter. Q was presented with a fact - Alex was driving him back to London. Upon that, Q decided as a revenge Alex shall stay in the big noisy and stuffy city for a week. Alex’s expression faded a bit at the thought of being trapped the grey indurstial surroundings, but the promise of staying at Nathaniel’s cheered him up a bit.

Until he learned Nate lives with his father.

***

The continued “holidays” or what was holidays for Alex, didn’t mean Q could escape work. So he supplied Alex with a stack of books, his laptop, London A to Z and made sure the photo albums were in a LOCKED drawer, before sadly being forced to head to work.

At least without Q there to remind his father that sleep was somewhat useful for work efficiency (and sustaining life, but who cared), the man stayed in the office for an all-nighter. Q would have to have a talk with Eve about being naive and believing “Just and hour and I’ll turn in.”, but for now he was glad, because it spared him the no doubt akward confrontation while they were still tired after the drive. Small mercies.

All in all, even with “meet the family”, hey dad, we met a week ago, he’s my boyfriend looming on the horizon, Q decided it was pretty well start of the day.

So of course, when he entered Q-Branch (that thankfully survived his absence) it had to turn out his current mission was 007.

Pretty well start of the day indeed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "007, Q speaking."

"007, Q speaking. I'll be supervising your mission from now on."

"Oh, thank God. Tell R I love her, but she needs to learn to speak quieter. I was sure the mark could hear her."

"Now, 007, you know very well why is that impossible with the technology of your earpiece being…"

James cut him short.

"Then for the sake of my ears, alright."

Q sighed in sympathy and understanding and braced himself for the action.

"Alright. Time to go out there and steal the girl's heart."

He could hear James snort at that.

"Very well. If you say so, Q..."

James left the bathroom and smoothly dove into the crowd, mingling, chatting about and slowly drifting towards the mark.

So of course the moment he neared her she had to enter the stage. Well, at least the reason for the mysterious party would be revealed.

***

James was hiding in a small alcove, still among the party, but not exposed to the worst noise and having clear view of the room. The mark has just went out to the huge terrace adjoining the space.

"James, fuck, I'm so sorry, I swear, there was nothing that could have been done, I..."

"Q."

"Maybe I should have looked further there must have been something, but not in her social media even, not documents, private conversations, not..."

"Q!"

"Oh dear. James, I'm so sorry…"

James looked around to be sure he's not being eavesdropped on and there's no one around paying attention to him, before hissing.

"Nathaniel Mallory, calm down this instant."

Sharp intake of breath answered him on the other side of the comms.

"That's it, Q. Now. There was no way we cod have known it's her coming out party. Let's just be glad she didn't announce her engagement or didn't even introduce a girlfriend. I'll try to approach her anyway and of it doesn't prove effective, we'll send Eve on some other occasion. Now. Even in the relative darkness of the garden, there's a risk the earpiece may be noticed and I'm wearing the replacement that doesn't look like a hearing aid..."

"And why, pray tell, are wearing a replacement?! James, how many times did I tell you…"

"Story for another time, Q. What I'm trying to tell you is that I'm signing off. Take a break, go home. You're past your hours anyway. And before you came back, that week before I went, I hadn't seen your father leave work once."

"What?! Fuck…"

"MI6 needs its leader in his best form, so please, go home and take your father with you. The mission should be relatively simple now, that we know not to expect too much. This is 007, signing off."

And before Q could protest, there was a steady signal of the comms turning off.

"Fuck you, James. Fuck you and the fact you're right." Q muttered under his breath before taking his earpiece out, grabbing his bag and turning towards the room. "R, hold the fort. I'm heading out and taking dad with me. Unless the apocalypse is nearing, no one is to call him until tomorrow morning. And feel free to give Moneypants he'll for believing his shit. See you tomorrow."

And Q wordlessly marched out of Q-Branch, bracing himself for the battle. Now he just had to drag his father out of his office.

Brilliant.

***

James had gone out into the fresh, cold air oddness garden, heading away from the ball room and towards the mark, strolling leisurely the empty alleyways. He didn't even register the prick of the dart in his neck before everything went dark.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q wishes for death.

It's not an easy fight. Q is proud for getting out of it victorious. After long coaxing and bribery and lots of suspicious enquiries that eventually may be the deciding factor, Nathaniel Mallory manages to drag his father home.

And he most certainly doesn't remotely put M's office on a lockdown for next 36 hours in the taxi.

***

For some reason Q only remembers to tell dad about Alec when they get out of the taxi. (And the reason isn't stalling, it isn't.)

And it's only when he sees the lights are on that he realises his mistake, because Gareth Mallory is in war mode now. Brilliant.

Nate rushes to stop him before he brings the gun out.

"Yes, that, I might've forgotten to mention I met someone in Cornwall and please, do refrain from killing my new boyfriend?"

And he puts the puppy eyes on, watching his father register the words and sigh in resignation.

"Where did it go wrong?"

Mallory mutters under his breath and brings out the keys instead, opening the door.

"Hey, I'm offended, you've brought me up to be a brilliant person!"

His father just frowns at him as he enters, coming face to face with a young, athletic, handsome man wiping his hands dry with a kitchen towel.

"Oh, well, you must be... Nate, you might have forgotten to mention the name."

"Um. Yes. Dad, this is Alex, Alex, my father, Gareth Mallory. Yeah."

His father is definitely measuring Alex up. Fuck.

"Did he lock the drawer?"

Alex is quick enough to get what's this all about, a small, hesitant smile on as he answers.

"Yes, sir."

"Did you open it?"

Alex's smile falters.

"I might've, sir."

"Did you look at the photos?"

"No!"

And Q practically melts as he watches a smile enter his father's expression and recognizes approval.

"Good, you'll want to see Nate's face when you do."

Oh, fuck.

***

Nathaniel is sorely regretting this whole "Meet the family" idea all too soon. Apparently his father doesn't give a damn about the fact he and Alex know each other for a whole week and after basically devouring Alex's Shepard's pie decides to help them cement their relationship by showing Alex Q's childhood photos and telling stories.

Including the one about very naked sleepwalking around the neighbourhood at 14.

Q wishes for death.

But at the same time, some masochistic part of him rejoices, because a) this is a story they agreed to forget, so dad telling this means he REALLY approves and b) Alex didn't dump him and didn't even laugh too hard.

And he kissed Q on the head lovingly and then Q decided to forgive his dad.

What are parents for, if not embarrassing their children?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fucking aces.

When James came to it was to find himself bound tightly (wrists behind his back, ankles together - tight enough to lower the circulation and make his limbs numb) and gagged (some inconveniently big, scratchy, foul rag stuffed in his mouth, and then secured with a long strip of duct tape going several times around his head - getting it off will be a bitch) in what appeared to be a broom closet.

In the background, James could still hear the sounds of the party. Clearly, he was packaged nicely and stored away while the party still lasted. Brilliant.

Far be it from him to interrupt their fun.

***

After an hour of vicious turning, adjusting and. desperately trying to loosen the ropes James has finally come to two conclusions - a) the bastards were fucking professionals and there was no getting out of he bonds and b) now his hands were no less restrained, but decidedly more bloody and hurting.

Fucking aces.

***

The sounds of the party had died down a while ago and James suspected even the last guests must have left by now. The footsteps grew rarer and more relaxed, though also more skittish, lighter, and James knew the tidy up was over or postponed in order to have a meet up in order to decide what to do with him.

Far be it from James to feel left out.

Let the sleeping dogs lie. The door was suddenly yanked open and before James could even adjust to the dim light of the room, having been kept in the dfarkness for the last three hours or so, he was being yanked out of the closet none too gently by his arm.

The tidy up must indeed have been postponed due to a dire inconvinience James caused, because thrown roughly onto the floor in the middle of the huge, emptied (but for the baddies gang, James thought grimply) ballroom, the agent landed on a discarted muffin cup with some gooey chocolate still in it.

The evening was honestly getting better and better.

"Handsome young man we've got here. Shame you're a snooping rat and I'm lesbian."

The woman who came out this beautiful evening and as James could see now, was apparently in charge here, approached him from the garden door.

"We've been wondering, Mr... Oh, terribly sorry, you seem a bit tied up at the moment, but I'm sure my friends found some documents along with that Walther upon revision?"

She turned towards one of the goons, who wordlessly handed her James' fake ID.

"...Mr. Sterling. No doubt not your real name, but it'll do for now." Her smile was positively predatory. "You see, Mr. Sterling, you've landed yourself in a rather precarous position..."

Tell him that.

The last three hours tied up too tightly in a tiny broom closet have been great fun and laying in rubbish on a cold floor, in an uncomfortable postion on his back, resulting in pressure on his bound wrists, now, that was simply incredible experience too.

For an uptenth time in the last months, James wondered why did he chose this career. The lose of Vesper, the death of M, his parents, Franz, Madeleine, Q, amazing, brilliant Q... They were dancing in front of his eyes again, as they tended to lately.

From his position on the floor, James could do little and see not much either. The few figures of a lesbian mob boss and her goons looming above him were undeniably intimidating from down there. The situation of having been captured and succesfully restrained didn't exactly appeal to him either.

From the uncomfortable position on the floor, things didn't look up, and behind the poker face, James was mentally recoiling from the reality.

The predatory grin covered in red lipstick only added to his inner turmoil.

"You see Mr. Sterling, the thing is, while I may not know much about your person, I do know you didn't get what you came for here tonight. And seeing as I'm afraid we're moving tonight, and this venue will be of absolutely no help to you either, I think you are in a truly dangerous spot."

Fuck.

"But you see, Mr. Sterling, it's your lucky day. Seeing as you have no confidential data of ours, you're in no way useful to us, or frankly, to your employers either. You're basically at our mercy. But it's my party tonight and therfore I'm feeling merciful."

The smirk on her face and tone of her voice didn't fit the words and only help build the tension already in James' body and mind.

In the tight spot on the floor, armed and skilled men looming above him, restrained and powerless and fully aware he was of no value for interrogation, James was getting scared.

"You see, Mr. Sterling, you'll get to live... But I'm a force to be reckoned with, and we have to make sure your employers get that message, don't we?"

James swallowed his fear.

The evening was quickly turning into a nightmare and suddenly he really, really regretted assuring Q it was safe to go home and leave him to finsih the mission alone.

Clealy, he was indeed, just as fucking hopeless at completing missions on his own as the boffin declared.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Him. The dinner.

"I would like to introduce you to my brother, Mr. Sterling."

The red lips curled slightly as she nodded at the men who joined her.

"We're adopted and not actually related, but we love each other very much. He is very protective of me and I care for him deeply. He has some anger management issues. But I know that all he needs is too let some steam off sometimes, is all."

The man's eyes lit up dangerously and James really didn't like where this was going.

"I have a feeling you can help with that, Mr. Sterling. I hope you will get well acquainted in the next hours before we have to part."

The smirk on her lips died, but as if by magic, an identical one turned on the step brother's face when her turned serious.

"Good bye, Mr. Sterling. We shall never see each other again."

And with that she was gone, leaving the man advancing on James' lone figure on the floor.   
The agent swallowed his fear and braced himself.

***

"I think we need to know each other better, Mr. Sterling. I hope a little chat will loosen the atmosphere and help you relax."

So the evil monologues run in the family?

"Would you like to know the plan for the evening, Mr. Sterling?"

And could they stop with the name? They all knew it was an alias, no need to rub it in.

"We're going to have great fun tonight, Mr. Sterling."

The man grinned. Somehow James doubted that.

"First, I am going to let my men play some footie with your head."

He came closer, and it only intensified James' feeling of being cornered.

"Not too long, we don't want to give you a concussion or have you black our, you have to present for the next part. Because then we will strip you of your beautiful jacket and shirt and kick you. A lot."

Surrounded by hungry predators.

"And cut, and burn your chest and thighs. The trousers too will be damaged anyway, won't they?"

And they were advancing on him.

"And then. Then we will carve the message on your lovely sixpack with a very blunt knife. But don't worry. Well cut deep so it will do its job. It may just... hurt a bit. Well also run some salt and alcohol into it, to make sure it will scare lovely. And we'll pack you up nicely and present you to your bosses. So they know we're not fond of gatecrashing."

Him. The dinner.

Fuck brave 007. This was James and he was scared.

***

They kept every word.

By the third letter and a stab to his thigh, he didn't care.

He let the tears flow and screamed through the gag.

For Q. For Q to come and rescue him. Q, who he told to sign off, and go home.

**Author's Note:**

> Younger!James, younger!Alec AU, with only a few years between Goldeneye and Skyfall, JAQ.  
> #JAQ_SomethingToRemember


End file.
